FIBA: Wakama rallies D’Tigress for Philippines clash after Korea defeat

Wakama calls for quick response after shock loss

Rena Wakama, head coach of Nigeria’s senior women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, has called for an immediate mental reset following a 77–60 defeat to South Korea in their second game of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup qualifiers in Lyon, France.

D’Tigress will face the Philippines on Saturday before concluding their fixtures against France and Germany.

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Wakama: Team must learn and move forward

Wakama said the team must refocus and improve ahead of their next match against the Philippines.
“Korea is a great team. We struggled with our shooting and had 22 turnovers, which is not typical of our game,” she said.

“Our mentality is strong, and we will not overreact to the loss. We will learn from it and prepare better for the next game,” Wakama added.

She noted that the Koreans applied intense physical pressure, disrupted Nigeria’s passing lanes and effectively double-teamed key players.

“They did a great job defensively. Credit to them for the way they played,” Wakama said.

Nigeria and Germany have already qualified for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, scheduled for September in Berlin, Germany, with both teams participating in the qualifiers primarily to prepare for the global tournament.

The qualifying tournament is being held simultaneously in four countries, France, Turkey, Puerto Rico and China, as teams compete for the remaining places at the World Cup.